thompson



@nitro tetris atent @Hirst J. S. THOMPSON, 0F SY'GAMORE, ILLINOIS..

Letter@ Patent No. 74,451, fateli February 11, 1868.

vturnover) ANIMAL-TRAP.

TO ALL WHOMl IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it'k'nown that i,d. S. THOMPSON, of Sycamore, in' thecounty of4 De Kalb, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Animal-Traps; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference heinghad to the accompanyingl drawings, in which--i Figure 1 shows a plan of my invention,

Figure 2 a side elevation of the same, 'and' Figure 3 a view of 'the spring d and catche, with dierent positions oi' the gate C.l

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of one end of trap, showing platform, gate, &c.' y

My inventioneconsists in an improvement in animal-traps, whereby the necessity offrenewing the bait is avoided, the Vconstruction of the trap very much simplified, and the whole arrangement such that there is hardly any possibility ofrits getting out of order. V I I V That others may understand niy invention, its construction, and mode vof operation, Al: will'proceed to give a particular descriptionof 'the' same. v l

It is represented 'at iig. 1, and consists of a rectangular box, whose length is about twice its width, Vand'of` a correspondingheig'ht. The top andbottom are made of thin boards, and the two sides and one end of stout wire. In the drawings accompanying this application, a small portion of one sideandthe half of one end are made of wood. The box is divided into two or three compartments, first, by the wire partition, Vl), which, beginning at a point about theV middle of one side, extends into the trap half way across'iit and the gate C. The wires forming the partition Dare inserted in' the floor, and, after rising perpendicularly'a short distance, they are bent forward at right angles, about the same distance, and then pass upward to the top, where they are fastened. The wires bent in this manner,toget her with two or three short onesat the end, form ya small recess for confining the bait. Another partition., F, is formed on the opposite side ofthe trap, of horizontal wires, whose ends are inserted in the post at the end of the wires, forming a portion of that side, 'andv extending half way across the cage to the vertical shaft E of the gate C. The wires of this partition extend 'a' little beyond the bars of the gate C, and are so arranged as to allow the bars to pass between them as the gate revolves. -This partition prel vents any animal, already within the trap, from passing out as the gate revolves, and the wires forming it may lbe of suilicient strength to resist alone the ei'forts' of the animal to escape with-only one end of each xed in the post, or the shaft E may be employed to prevent their displacement. V

' The gate C-,wh/en the trap is s'et, stands parallel to the sides ofthe cage, and midway-between them', at one end, and consists of a vertical shaft, E, having six or more'arms, one above the otherfrom the bottom to the top, and of such lengthas to extend from the partition Dto the end of the cage. -The sbaftEextends upward through the top to the cross-benl,l which is supported by tbe`posts and H', one` at euch'end of the trap, andl has a pivot in each end, theone at the foot bearing in a'step in the iloor,and the other passing upward through a vertical hole inthe cross-bar, lso that it is free to turn at any time when liberated by theslatch Jof the plat form M. A portion of the floor is 'cut away at the entrance between thergate. and `the wire side, and in this space is balancedthe tilting-platform, M, in such a m'anneras to remain lin the same planeas the rest'of the'oor, by means of the pin a passing the saine and into the Vadjoining vedges of the door. `It has hear the inner end, on the edge next the gate, a metal latch, J, `secured by a screw, extending a little beyond the edge, and then turned upward, so far as to have the end of the lower cross-bar of the gate C catch. against it, when the platform is horizontal or at rest, and, when the same is inclined downward by the weight of any animalfrit shall liberate lthe gate, when'it is free to revolve, and on'the instant the weight is removed the platform willret'nrn to its herir aontal position, and the gate be retained as before.

The post H has,nea r its upper end, a vertical slot, N, in which is a. pulley, O. From the upper part of the shaft E extends thecord g, over thispulley, to the weight W, to which it is attached, and by which the gatel is caused to revolve. At the top of the 'gate is a spring-latch, o2, to keep 'the' gate from Vbeingpressed open by any animal that maybe confined within. Another similar latch, e, is used to prevent the gate from being turned backwards, when the same shall bey at right angles, or across'the cage, as might be necessary, should the animalresst the pressure of the gate and endeavor to return.

In setting the'trap the gate is caused to revolve, so as to wind up the cord upon the upper end'of the shaft, in the direction indicated by the arrow, (the platformM being lowered and the spring-latches cl and e raised by the Wire z, so as not to catch the gate,) until the weightis at the top of the post H; then, by releasing-the plat form and latch, vand. the bait having been securedv in the chamber Q, the trap is set. l

When any animal, attractedy by the bait, enters the trap, it must pass over the platform M, and as soon'as it gets near thevbait its weight presses the platform down, and the latch J with it. .This releases the gate C, which is turned bythe weight W, and, as it revolves, it strikes the animal, forcing him intothe trap, and as soon as the weight is ofi" the platform, it rises and catches the gate() in its former position, and the trap is reset, as

before. Y Y Having thus'flescribed my invention, its construction, and mode of operation, ,what I claim as nevi, is An animal-trap, with a sinking platform, M, and revolving gate, c, Jsecured by latches J a, constructed and operating, as described. Y

J. S.. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

TYLER K, WAITE, HENRY COBB. 

